Figueres, the capital of l’Alt Empordà, is about 20 kilometres away from the French-Spanish border. It is an active tourist, commercial and agricultural centre. The town is a strategic link of communication, as apart from the A-7 (motorway) and the N-II (national road) a number of local roads go from Figureres, which with the railway and the bus service, form a complete communication network.

Figueres was the centre of federal republicanism under the drive of the Figueres inhabitant Abdó Terrades and is also the hometown of Narcís Monturiol, a Utopian socialist known mostly as the inventor of the submarine Ictíneo. The latter has a monument which dominates the bottom part of the Rambla. The Rambla is the fundamental centre of Figueres, the small Galligans river runs underneath this spacious walk which was covered over in 1830. It is lined with big plane trees and on either side there are builidings from the 1800s.

The most representative religious building of Figueres is the Sant Pere parish church which conserves its Gothic nave from the end of the fourteenth century, as well as a graceful bell tower.

In the suburban part of the city, you will find various modern buildings, in which the Casino Menestral of Figueres from 1904 stands out. Also noteworthy is the metal structure which covers the new Gra square and the Parc Bosc Municipal, a large space landscaped according to the project by the architect Ricard Giralt from 1920.
Figueres is also known as the birthplace of the ‘sardana’ thanks to the great character Pep Ventura. The monument dedicated to this person is in the Josep Tarradellas square.